Film review: Years in the making, Coyote vs. Acme sings a sad toon

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeCultureMovies Film review: Years in the making, Coyote vs. Acme sings a sad toon Too many humans and not enough looniness deadens this tale of a cartoon character's lawsuit against a mail-order giant Author of the article: By Chris Knight Published Aug 28, 2026 Last updated 41 minutes ago 4 minute read Join the conversation From left, Lana Condor, Wile E. Coyote and Will Forte in Coyote vs. Acme. PHOTO BY WARNER BROS. Article content I waited years, decades, for this movie. The Road Runner cartoons were part of my Gen X childhood, blasting shameless violence from the boob tube every Saturday morning. “Coyote v. Acme,” a New Yorker comic piece written in legalese, was published in 1990 when I was an impressionable young journalism student. The film began development in 2018. Article content It lands in theatres this week. And I’m sorry to say but it landed on me like a boulder, squishing my body into a wheezy accordion. I waited a lifetime for this? What a maroon! Article content Article content Article content It’s earnest, hopeful, and ambitious. But it’s a misfire on par with Acme’s rocket-powered roller skates. Article content Let’s start with its human star, Will Forte. Funny guy; SNL, MacGruber, Last Man on Earth. But he’s not Looney, which is what this movie needs. John Cena, who has a part as an Acme lawyer and engages in a hilarious diphthong-off with Tweety Bird, is Looney. So was Bob Hoskins, star of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Article content What is Looney? It’s difficult to define but you know it when you see it. Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Jason Segel — all Looney. Forte’s a little too grounded, too morose. Ditto Lana Condor, who plays his character’s niece and the intern at his law firm, which Wile E. Coyote hires to sue the Acme corporation over its comically destructive product line. Article content John Cena and Tweety Bird in Coyote vs. Acme. PHOTO BY WARNER BROS. Article content In fact, Condor’s role is indicative of another problem with the film; too many humans, not enough toons. Sure, we get cameos aplenty, and Foghorn Leghorn in a meaty role as an Acme executive. Article content But the mighty Bugs Bunny is relegated to a shadowy Deep Throat character, a role that could have been played by anyone. Casting him as Forte’s right hand would have killed two birds (apologies to Tweety and Foghorn) with one…